Jason Baum is a well-known figure for his Grammy-winning music videos, such as Kendrick Lamar’s HUMBLE. He recently produced the comedy thriller film It’s What’s Inside, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix for $17 million, making it the highest sale at the festival this year. Jason has a close friendship with the film’s director, Greg Jardin, spanning over 13 years, and they collaborated on this project for the last 6 years. Jason, a proud AAPI filmmaker, has worked with renowned directors like Spike Jonze, Ava DuVernay, Joey Soloway, and Hiro Murai, earning him accolades such as four Grammy nominations, a Grammy win for producing Kendrick Lamar’s music video, and an Emmy nomination for producing the Beastie Boys Story.
1. Hi Jason, welcome to OLC! “It’s What’s Inside” has been generating a lot of buzz since its premiere. What initially drew you to this project, and how does it feel to see it become Netflix’s biggest acquisition this year?
Thanks for having me! Greg Jardin, the writer/director of It’s What’s Inside, has been a dear friend and collaborator of mine for the past 14 years. He’s one of the most talented people I know so if he has a project happening, I’d always want to be a part of it. I knew this film was going to be incredible the moment I reached the last page of the script and given Greg’s talent, the success of the project doesn’t surprise me one bit.
2. You’ve worked with some of the biggest names in music and film, from Kendrick Lamar to Ava DuVernay. How has your experience producing music videos shaped your approach to producing a feature film like “It’s What’s Inside”?
My aspiration for any project that I take on is to make something culturally significant and impactful. I did what I know best, which was to work hard and create a space so everyone can do their best work. It takes a tight team to make something great and learning how to assemble the right group is really what I have honed over time.
3. Your long-standing friendship with director Greg Jardin spans over a decade. How did your personal relationship influence the collaboration on this film, and were there any challenges in balancing friendship and work?
Creating any project introduces stress and friction into the atmosphere but, it has always been my preference to make things with friends. There is something liberating about knowing that, despite all the difficulties that arise, you and the other person are still able to have a laugh, a drink or a meal with ease and that there is something more important at stake than the project.
We were living together at the hero house leading up to filming and I slept over at his place when we were on deadline to finish the film. I think a little more work/life balance would have been better for us all, but we’re still friends so that’s good.
Also, knowing someone as long as I have known Greg makes it pretty easy to predict their preferences and desires. We have seen so many movies together over the years that I know his taste pretty well, and we’ve shared many a meal so I can almost guess his lunch order at times!
4. The film’s story is known for being complex and puzzle-like. What were the biggest production challenges you faced in bringing such a unique narrative structure to life?
If you have seen the film, one can imagine how convoluted everyday production conversations would be. I love a good spreadsheet or chart, so we made one early on tracking the various rounds of the game. The really cool thing about the story was how it inspired every department to think about the story’s challenges and the nuances of how it affects their craft. But, the hardest part was just keeping the plot straight and making sure you didn’t mess up the facts of the scene.
5. As a proud AAPI filmmaker, how has your cultural background influenced your work and perspective in the film industry, especially in projects like “It’s What’s Inside”?
Being an AAPI filmmaker makes me hyper-aware of the stories that I’m bringing into the world. Greg is half Indonesian as well and I appreciated that he wanted the lead character of Shelby to be of mixed race. The greater acting ensemble is also very diverse which was important to us, as we wanted to reflect a friend group similar to our own.
6. You’ve produced music videos for Beyoncé, Sia, and Kendrick Lamar. How did the lessons learned from working in the music video industry impact your approach to managing the budget and resources on a larger-scale project like this?
I have yet to be on a project where we had more money than we needed and that might never happen. Creativity exists in the realm of figuring out how we can do more with less. It’s What’s Inside was modestly made and didn’t have the resources of a studio film. Working in the short form space has always sharpened my skills of how to maximize a budget for the biggest creative gains.
7. With a career spanning both short-form content, like music videos, and long-form content, like feature films, what do you find most challenging and rewarding about producing these different formats?
The beauty about short form content is in its name – it’s short. It’s a sprint versus long form which is an Ironman. Short form has always been wonderful in the sense that I get to work with different crews and speed date if you will with collaborators. Whereas with long form, so much is about just making it through to the end. Both formats have the same challenges. How do you make the best thing with what you have been given? The reward with long form is the potential for more people to see it than a music video or commercial.
8. Sundance is a major launching pad for indie films. How did the festival experience help elevate “It’s What’s Inside,” and what was your reaction when Netflix bought the film for $17 million?
The Sundance Film Festival is a dream experience for any filmmaker. We had shown It’s What’s Inside to a couple of test groups, but it wasn’t until we arrived in Park City that a proper audience saw it in its completed form. We were lucky that our first screening was actually for the festival volunteers and to this day, it might be the best one we ever have had. The volunteers are already big film buffs and to see them laughing at every joke, gasping at the right moments, and asking an hour worth of questions afterward is the most memorable experience of the fest. As anyone else with a film being brought to market, we were just praying to sell it to someone. So it was very exciting when Netflix made their ultimate offer and it felt validating that a film you’ve been championing for so long was finally being seen for what it was.
9. You’ve worked with visionary directors like Spike Jonze and Hiro Murai. How have these collaborations influenced your own creative process as a producer, especially in your latest project?
I feel like you never stop being a student and working with every director is always fascinating. I admire personal filmmaking and to see how a Spike or a Hiro execute an idea always excites me as a filmmaker. For It’s What’s Inside, Hiro actually came to one of our test screenings and gave some feedback before we locked picture. I also learned so much from Spike when we were marketing Aziz Ansari: Right Now and Beastie Boys Story. I definitely took some insights from that experience to help Greg manage the marketing materials for It’s What’s Inside.
Email: [email protected]
Socials: @neillfrazer